"The Whole30" Authors Explain How to Lose Weight and Have Better Sex with Several Healthy Recipes

By Marisa Dabney | May 15th, 2015

Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the authors of "The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom," explain how to get fit, have better sex and get good sleep in 30 days. On the Friday May 15, 2015 episode of "The View" Melissa and Dallas show guest co-hosts Joy Behar and Molly Sims easy tips and recipes to get healthy in no time. Watch the video below:

'The Whole 30' Helps You Lose Weight and Have Better Sex|The authors of "The Whole 30" explain how to get fit in 30 days.|Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the authors of "The Whole 30," explain how to get fit, have better sex and get good sleep in 30 days.

If you liked the tips and recipes from Melissa and Dallas check out full recipes and excerpts from their new book "The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom" below:

Romesco Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles

Serves 2

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

- 4 medium zucchini (about 4 cups of “noodles”)

- 2 tablespoons cooking fat

- 1/4 onion, finely chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Romesco Sauce (You can save yourself some prep time and make your Romesco sauce up to two days in advance. See recipe below.)

Peel the zucchini with a regular peeler. Then, using a julienne peeler, make long slices along one side of each zucchini until you get down to the seeded core. Rotate the zucchini and continue to peel until you’ve done all four sides. (If you have a spiral slicer, you can use that instead of a julienne peeler.) Discard the core, and set the noodles aside.

Add 2 cups of water to a large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil while you begin cooking the shrimp.

Melt the cooking fat in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. When the fat is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp, toss to coat with the onion and garlic, and cook stirring, an additional 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and cover with a lid. Cook until the shrimp form the shape of a “C,” 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl (draining any remaining water), and season everything with the salt and pepper.

After you add the water and cover, place a colander or steamer inside the large pot of boiling water. Add the zucchini noodles, cover, and steam until the zucchini is al dente in texture, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the “zoodles” and transfer to a serving dish or individual plates.

Sprinkle the shrimp with the parsley, toss, and spoon over the zoodles. Spoon the Romesco Sauce over the shrimp and zucchini and serve.

This dish is just as delicious served cold, substituting Pesto for the Romesco Sauce, and cold cucumber noodles instead of steamed zoodles. You can also cheat and buy cooked shrimp—just skip the 1/4 cup water and covered cooking at the end of the third step.

Pro Tips: Shrimp Shrimp are actually quite easy to prepare, but unlike beef, shrimp actually get tougher the longer you cook them. Perfectly cooked shrimp will be pink in color, and shaped like a “C”—if they are curled up tightly into an “O” shape, they’re overcooked. If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure they are completely thawed before you start cooking.

Romesco Sauce

You can save yourself some prep time and make your Romesco sauce up to two days in advance.

Makes 2 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons cooking fat

- 1/2 cup almonds, chopped

- 1 small onion, diced

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon chili powder

- 1 teaspoon paprika

- 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Melt the cooking fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the fat is hot, add the almonds and toast for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the chili powder and paprika and cook until the flavors open up, about 30 seconds. Finally, add the tomatoes, mix into the ingredients, and cook, stirring to bring up the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan, until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the sauce mixture to a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on low speed until the sauce is smooth, then pour into a serving dish or glass storage container.

Allow to cool before refrigerating; the sauce will keep for up to 5 days. Pro Tip: Seeding Tomatoes Seeding a tomato can be messy if you try to dice it before removing the seeds. Try this method: place

the tomato on a cutting board, stem facing up. Slice left-to-right across the middle of the tomato, creating two equal halves. Then, scrape out the seeds and white core with a small spoon. You’ll be left with nothing but firm tomato flesh, far easier to slice and dice.

Thai Cucumber Cups

Serves 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

- 1/2 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced

- Grated zest and juice of 2 limes

- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon pepper

- 1/2 cup cashews

- 1 cup roughly chopped button, cremini, or portabella mushrooms

- 1/4 cup finely diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

- 1 pound ground turkey

- 4 cucumbers, hollowed into cups (see below)

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

To prepare the sauce, whisk together the garlic, ginger, jalapeño, and lime zest and juice in a medium non-reactive mixing bowl. Whisking, drizzle in 3/4 cup of the olive oil. Whisk in the salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the fat is hot, add the cashews and toast, shaking the pan to keep them from burning, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, roughly chop, and let cool.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, green onion, and turkey. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a spatula or wooden spoon and mixing it into the vegetables, until the turkey is thoroughly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the sauce, and mix well. Sprinkle the chopped cashews into the turkey mixture.

Spoon the turkey mixture into the cucumber cups and top with the chopped cilantro.

The cucumber cups make this dish the perfect appetizer, pot-luck contribution, or baby shower dish, but they may be too time-consuming for a mid-day lunch. The turkey, vegetable, and sauce mixture is just as tasty served on a bed of crisp greens, wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf, in a hollowed-out bell pepper, or spooned on top of any of our breadless bun options on page 000—fork and knife required. It’s also delicious reheated in the morning (and topped with a fried egg or two).

Pro Tip: Cucumber Cups

To make the cucumber cups, cut each cucumber into 3 logs (approximately 2 inches long). Scoop out the inner flesh using a small spoon or small melon baller, but don’t scoop out all the way through to the bottom, as the cups need to hold the meat mixture. Lightly salt the cucumber rounds and place on paper towels to drain.

Way better, right? Enjoy these breadless bun variations, but feel free to create your own buns or wraps, too. You can also use tomato slices, hearty lettuce leaves (like Boston, Bibb, or romaine), or a hollowed-out bell pepper to hold your burger.

Wait—here’s a totally mind-blowing thought:

Who says the meat can’t be the bun? Try stacking your fillings between two burgers—the mess will be worth the meaty reward.

Eggplant Buns

Serves 2 (with leftovers)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 eggplant

- 3 tablespoons cooking fat

- ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the eggplant evenly into ¾-inch-thick rounds. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared pan. Drizzle

half of the cooking fat evenly over the eggplant, then flip each slice and drizzle the remaining fat on the other side. Season with the salt and pepper.

Roast the eggplant for 20 minutes, until it is browned on the outside and fork-tender. Allow to cool, then stack a burger and fillings between two slices and serve.

Store extras in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 3 to 5 days, perfect for more burgers, or adding to scrambled eggs.

Portabella mushroom buns

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

- 4 large portabella mushrooms

- 3 tablespoons cooking fat, melted

- ½ teaspoon salt

- ½ teaspoon pepper

- 1 clove garlic, minced Y

ou can also grill the mushroom slices Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Rinse the mushroom tops with cool water or wipe with a wet paper towel to remove any excess dirt. Dry thoroughly. Place the mushrooms upside-down on the prepared baking sheet. Remove the stems by gently breaking them off, and drizzle the cooking fat evenly over the mushrooms. Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic.

Roast for 10 minutes, then flip and roast for another 10 minutes, until fork-tender. Allow to cool, then stack a burger and fillings between two mushroom caps and serve.

Sweet Potato Buns

Serves 2 (with leftovers)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 to 10 minutes

Total Time: 11 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:

- 2 sweet potatoes

- 2 tablespoons cooking fat

- Salt

- Pepper

Peel the sweet potato and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds. (Choose thick, round sweet potatoes over long, skinny ones.) Heat the cooking fat over medium heat in a large skillet, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. When the fat is hot, add the largest slices from the middle of the potato, laying them out in a single layer in the pan. (Cook these in batches, if necessary.) Cook until fork-tender and browned, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cool, then stack a burger and fillings between two slices of sweet potato and serve.

Store the extras in foil or an airtight container the fridge. They will keep for up to 3 to 5 days, perfect for more burgers, or adding to tomorrow morning’s Frittata.

Chicken Meatballs

Serves 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 pound ground chicken thigh meat

- 1 large egg, beaten

- 1/4 onion, finely chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- 2 tablespoons cooking fat, plus more if needed

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Thoroughly mix the chicken, eggs, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Roll into 15 to 20 meatballs, each about the size of a Ping-Pong ball.

Melt the cooking fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the fat is hot, add the meatballs (depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in batches). Cook for about 30 seconds per side, turning to prevent burning, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and add more cooking fat if the pan begins to smoke.

Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Make It a Meal: Pair these meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (page 000), Tomato Sauce (page 000), or Pesto (page 000), and serve over Roasted Spaghetti Squash (page 000) or on top of our Ratatouille (page 000).

While it’s not necessary, if you stock grain-free flours in your pantry, you could add 1/4 cup of almond flour or 2 tablespoons of coconut flour to your meat mixture to make your meatballs more dense in texture. Change the flavor of this dish by swapping out the oregano for fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme. Or add 2 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce to the mixture and serve with our Ranch Dressing (page 000). These also reheat like a dream, so double the batch and enjoy for a few extra meals.

Pro Tip: Vegetable “Spaghetti”

Meatballs are just begging to be placed over a pile of noodles. Did you know you can make “noodles” out of many vegetables if you have the right tools? A julienne peeler is great for softer vegetables like cucumber or zucchini (see our Romesco Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles on page 000), but it can be a little time-consuming to prepare large batches. A spiral slicer can turn nearly anything—potatoes, carrots, parsnips, even apples—into thin, spaghetti-like strings, and the process is so fun your kids (or partner) will actually want to participate. Just whip up a batch of your favorite vegetable “noodles,” steam them until they’re al dente (check often by tasting, as you don’t want soggy noodles), and serve.

Pesto

Makes 2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup walnuts

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves

- 1 cup spinach leaves

- Juice of 1/2 lemon

- 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot (sprinkle some water on the dry pan—if it sizzles, it’s hot), add the walnuts in a single layer and stir or shake frequently until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Combine the walnuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the basil and spinach and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the lemon juice. While mixing on low speed, add the olive oil in a slow stream until all the ingredients are fully blended. Add the salt and pepper and pulse a few more times to combine.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days, or freeze in ice cube trays (see technique on page 000).

Use this pesto in place of tomato sauce; try it mixed in with our Italian-inspired Perfect Ground Meat (page 000), or drizzled over Stuffed Peppers (page 000). Another one of our favorite “ingredient” meals is to make Roasted Spaghetti Squash (page 000), add sun-dried tomatoes and Whole30-compliant sausage or chicken sausage, and top with pesto and a sprinkle of pine nuts. It’s also delicious on eggs, or mixed into your favorite Protein Salad (page 000).

Pro Tip: Pesto Nuts

Traditional pesto uses pine nuts, but these can be expensive. We’ve used walnuts instead, but free to substitute whatever nuts you have on hand—pecans or almonds would work just as well.